What a real privilege it was to be invited down the the unveiling of The Herring Girl statue on the Fish Quay.
We paraded down the Fish Quay and then sang a wonderful rendition of "Big River."
What a brilliant part of our town's history to be part of!
North Shields’ historic Fish Quay is home to a new statue honouring the hardworking Herring Girls who were once a regular sight there.
The life-size sculpture was officially unveiled by actress Brenda Blethyn, star of ITV’s Vera.
It was created by artist Ray Lonsdale, the man behind the poignant Fisherman on Fiddlers Green, who sits a short distance away.
The sculpture depicts a life-sized traditional herring girl sitting on a barrel holding a fish in each hand.
The herring girls played an important role on the bustling quay, following the route of the herring as they moved south, gutting and salting the fish that were caught.
